Flodesk vs Mailchimp
Flodesk is a email marketing platform while Mailchimp is a all-in-one marketing platform. Mailchimp has been around since 2001, giving it a 18-year head start over Flodesk (founded 2019). Mailchimp is the more affordable option at $13/mo — that's $12 less than Flodesk's $25/mo entry point. Both offer free plans to get started. Mailchimp has the edge with A/B testing, SMS marketing, advanced analytics.
Quick Verdict
Flodesk wins on rating.
Mailchimp wins on price, integrations.
Best for most users: Mailchimp (small businesses).
Flodesk
Design emails people love to get
Flodesk is a design-first email marketing platform known for its stunning templates and unusually simple builder. It's particularly popular among creative professionals who prioritize visual design over advanced marketing features. Its long-running flat-rate, unlimited-subscriber plan was retired for new members in December 2025 — pricing now scales with list size, so judge it on the design tooling rather than the old pricing story.
Mailchimp
Turn emails into revenue
Mailchimp is the most widely recognized email marketing platform, used by millions of businesses worldwide. Acquired by Intuit in 2021, it offers a full suite of marketing tools but has become increasingly expensive compared to alternatives.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Flodesk | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.6/5 | 4.3/5 |
| Starting Price | $25/mo | $13/mo |
| Free Plan | Free list-building tools (forms, landing pages, audience tools); email sending requires paid plan | 250 contacts, 500 emails/month |
| Founded | 2019 | 2001 |
| Email Templates | 40 | 100 |
| Integrations | 20 | 300 |
| Deliverability Rate | 96% | 96% |
| Marketing Automation | ✓ | ✓ |
| A/B Testing | ✕ | ✓ |
| Landing Pages | ✓ | ✓ |
| Segmentation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Drag & Drop Editor | ✓ | ✓ |
| SMS Marketing | ✕ | ✓ |
| Ecommerce Features | ✓ | ✓ |
| API Access | ✕ | ✓ |
| Multi-Language | ✕ | ✓ |
| Web Push Notifications | ✕ | ✕ |
| Live Chat | ✕ | ✕ |
| Advanced Analytics | ✕ | ✓ |
Flodesk: Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Beautiful, design-focused email templates
- +Flat-rate pricing regardless of list size
- +Unlimited subscribers on all plans
- +Simple and intuitive interface
- +Built-in checkout and digital product sales
Cons
- −No A/B testing
- −No API access
- −Very limited integrations
- −No SMS marketing
- −Basic automation compared to competitors
Mailchimp: Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Most recognized brand in email marketing
- +Excellent drag-and-drop editor
- +300+ integrations with third-party tools
- +Strong analytics and reporting
- +Good for beginners with guided setup
Cons
- −Free plan severely limited (500 contacts, 1,000 sends)
- −Premium plan is expensive ($350/mo)
- −Charges for unsubscribed contacts
- −Affiliate marketing restricted
- −Deliverability has declined in recent years
The Verdict
Flodesk edges ahead with a 4.6/5 rating compared to Mailchimp's 4.3/5. The gap comes mainly from deliverability (4.5 vs 4) and ease of use (5 vs 4.6).
| Criterion | Weight | Flodesk | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $25/mo | $13/mo |
| Deliverability | 25% | 96% | 96% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.6/5 | 4.3/5 |
| Integrations | 10% | 20 | 300 |
| Free Tier | 10% | Yes | Yes |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose Flodesk if…
- + You're a designers
- + You're a creatives
- + Beautiful, design-focused email templates
Choose Mailchimp if…
- + You want lower starting costs ($13/mo)
- + You need SMS marketing
- + You need API access for custom integrations
- + You need A/B testing